Leon Davis is a ‘Special Person’“Being in an office all the time is not what I desire, rather it is being in the field assisting the poor and bringing smiles to their faces. That is my biggest joy.”By Brushell BlackmanAt age 67, many among us would have been long retired enjoying the comfort of their homes and perhaps the benefits accrued during their long years of employment. Not so with our first ‘Special Person’ of the New Year and decade,NFL Jerseys Wholesale, Leon Davis AA, who is currently at his peak championing varied causes of and assisting the poor and needy.Leon DavisHis rise to the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Food for the Poor (Guyana) is not by accident rather it was by sheer hard work, dedication and determination on the part of this proud father of five.Davis spent his formative years in the communities of Charlestown and Albouystown with his mother Elsa Davis, who is still alive,Buy Air Max 95, and his father Daniel Davis now deceased. Being the only child for his parents, Davis had all the care and attention growing up. While some parents have the tendency to allow an only child to get away with unfavourable childish deeds, such luxuries were not afforded to him.As a matter of fact, his parents were very stringent with rules, regulations and good manners that were the hallmark for children growing up in his time.Another aspect of his upbringing was the emphasis that was placed on education, an ideal that his parents stood firm to, and ensured he embraced. Davis started his school life at the Houston Methodist School before moving on to the Kitty Methodist School after he lived with an aunt in the latter area for some time.Although Davis only managed to sit the basic school leaving examination, this was not a deterrent to him, and perhaps it was at this juncture of his life that he realised that he was destined for notable achievements. “I did not acquire prestigious certificates, or attended notable universities, but I was determined to achieve in my lifetime”.As it were, these achievements were not going to happen overnight. It turned out that Davis had to go through a process of refining, gaining the necessary experience and training that he would have otherwise attained from some exclusive schooling.His first employment was at age 15 at the Bookers Amalgamated Grocery Store where,Supply Cheap Jerseys, according to him, he worked for a rewarding 15 years. For Davis, this was the place that laid the foundation for him in his professional life.“The discipline and training that I received there has made me a better person, but at first I thought they (managers) were being hard on me”. He singled out Winston Ogle who was his mentor at Bookers, and the person that has instilled the type of exemplary training that he uses to good effect today in managing the affairs of Food for the Poor (Guyana).Apart from Ogle’s mentoring, Davis admired and patterned himself after the managers of that company who he describes as individuals that carried themselves well in both appearance and attitude.It was at this point that Davis was determined that he had to become a manager at some point in his life. How some things have a way of fulfilling themselves!After his stint at that establishment, Davis moved on to the Police Consumers Department where he worked for three years working his way up, becoming the manager of that department.Being the ambitious person that he had developed into, Davis endeavoured for greater things. Soon after, he landed another managerial position at the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) where he worked for four years.So outstanding was Davis’s performance at GMC, that he was recommended and transferred to the Guyana National Trading Corporation (GNTC) as the manager there.Again this gentleman’s performance ensured that he was further promoted to a more senior position within the said organisation.However there were to be curves along the road, of an otherwise ideal professional life for Davis. For reasons untold, GNTC was privatised in 1991 and this meant that he was now on the breadline.While this was a setback, the year proved to be the major turning point in Davis’s life. With the privatisation, many of his former colleagues were struggling to gain employment, but he was receiving offers thick and fast.Strangely enough, Davis was not prepared to jump at any of these offers and as he puts it “they were not the type of companies that I wanted to work for. They did not boast the same discipline and professionalism that I had grown accustomed to.”Davis was to change his mind and finally, it was one quiet morning, unemployed and enjoying the comfort of his home that he received a call from the now Chairman of Food for the Poor (Guyana), Paul Chan-a-Sue. Chan-a-Sue wanted to make Davis the Administrative Officer of the entity. That was the first time that Davis had heard of the organisation, and what he did not know as well, was that he was its first employee locally.Davis requested some time to assimilate the offer, and in 1991, on the 3rd of June, the day of his birth, Davis took up the appointment and as it turned out, was the only employee who managed the affairs of the organisation for two years.In those two years, Davis was responsible for everything there, from collection of goods at the wharfs to the countrywide distribution. To compound matters, these tasks were being executed at a small office space in Kingston. Bigger and better things beckoned and as the supplies increased there was the need for a bigger building, and of course, more staff.Two years later, Food for the Poor (Guyana) employed two additional staff and rented a bigger space. Davis conceded that he was not a proponent of such a move. “I told one of the directors that the space was too much and he said that soon it would be too small”. Davis says he has lived to see this become a reality.In 1995, Food for the Poor (Guyana) was forced to purchase its present facility in Festival City, North Ruimveldt, due to the increasing numbers of those requiring assistance. Davis said that he along with the directors restructured the organisation to suit the demands of the present-day realities and this has been functioning well thus far.Presently Food for the Poor (Guyana) operates in all but two regions, eight and nine, but this is not to say that assistance is not rendered to those locations.While he is unable to provide specific numbers, Davis emphasizes that the number of families and organisations that his company assists is too numerous to mention.Food and clothing continue to be some of the items that most families are beneficiaries of,cheap jerseys from china, but it is the housing programme that Davis says, is the biggest success story of this billion-dollar organisation.According to the CEO, the first housing project that the organisation embarked on, was one in St Cuthbert’s Mission, where forty houses and an equal amount of sanitary facilities were built free of cost for needy residents there. He described this as “such a feeling of relief and accomplishment to see the smiles on the faces of those residents who were homeowners for the first time, without contributing a penny.”Davis said that sometimes persons are of the impression that the company is into such activities for publicity. However, he debunked this,Jerseys From China, saying that the cause is firmly based on alleviating the stress brought about by poverty.Davis said that the humility and the sincerity of the poor within the communities, is what drives him daily. As he puts it “being in an office all the time is not what I desire, rather it is being in the field assisting the poor and bringing smiles to their faces. That is my biggest joy.”Over the years such benevolence continues to be forthcoming. Recently, the charitable organisation built what they called the ‘Little Red Village’ in Onderneeming.In that community, 100 homes, an equal number of sanitation blocks, recreational and industrial centres along with a school were built to the tune of $140M. All these facilities were placed into the charge of the residents, at no cost.While Davis acknowledged the need to assist the poor, he believes that such a vulnerable group should be given alternatives. “I do not feel that only giving out goods is the answer to poverty, but educating and empowering the poorest of the poor are other viable options that will aid in lifting them from their dire situations.”To this end, the entity has embarked on a number of skills training sessions in various communities.While Food for the Poor (Guyana) understands the value of this empowerment they continue to assist communities across the country. There is currently the setting up of a second ‘Little Red Village’, in Sariki in the Pomeroon area. That $40M project will see forty houses along with other facilities being constructed and handed over to the residents.Another project that is of great importance to Davis is the ‘Angel of Hope’ programme. This venture looks after the welfare of less fortunate children in homes and orphanages, and ensures that there is light in an otherwise dark existence. According to Davis, his organisation will make regular donations to these children, and at the same time ensure that there are goodies for their birthdays and other special occasions.The value of Davis’s contribution was not only recognised by the many communities across Guyana, but has also been recognised by the highest office of the country, the Office of the President. In 2001, Davis was decorated with a National Award, the Golden Arrow of Achievement, for his sterling work in the development of communities across Guyana.In relation to this honour, Davis humbly reflects that “if it wasn’t for the poor people of this country, there would have been no Food for the Poor”.While he is unsure when his journey at the organisation will end,wholesale jerseys, Davis says when that time comes he would be satisfied that he has played his part in forming an organisation that will be there long into the future. Indeed these qualities and servilities make Leon Davis, AA, a special person.